From the Buffalo News: Bills’ new parking plan raises discrimination concern

Officials see handicapped parking in one lot convenient; disability advocates see injustice

The Buffalo Bills put up an —iron curtain— for people with disabilities by creating a separate parking lot for fans with handicapped-parking permits, a local advocacy group for the disabled charged Monday.

The Bills’ new parking plan, unveiled at Friday night’s preseason opener, moves all vehicles with handicapped permits into Lot B —” between the press box and Abbott Road —” rather than providing limited spaces for handicapped vehicles in several lots.

That change didn’t sit well with the Western New York Independent Living Project.

—If you took any other minority population in Erie County, and I said in order to provide better services for Irish or African-American people, we’re going to designate a special lot for you to park in, you wouldn’t even think of doing that,— said Todd Vaarwerk, disability rights advocate for the project. —We would find that offensive.—

In a news release announcing the project’s opposition to the parking plan, Douglas Usiak, executive director, cited a saying often echoed by Independent Living Center officials:

—If you insert the word ‘black,’ ‘Jew’ or ‘female’ into a statement and it doesn’t sound right, it most likely isn’t,— Usiak stated…

I don’t know, but to me, this complaining is just plain wrong. I am also very much opposed to the ‘well you wouldn’t do it to [insert ethnic/gender label here]’ sort of reasoning that people fall back on. It indicates a weak mind and a weak argument. People who believe in something should be able to provide a reasoned statement about why something is important to them. Instead, they rely on emotion which just makes them look petty and childish.

Doug Usiak, long time director of the Independent Living Center (going back about 25+ years now) must need publicity or something. It comes down to complaining about the favored status he has always wanted.

‘I told you I wanted my soup hot, how dare you serve it to me when it is this hot!!!’

The law requires specially designated handicapped parking spaces, that is, favored status (because we have to legislate common courtesy, and even today some folks still don’t get it – but some never will).

Using Mr. Usiak’s analogy, lets change the name of all those existing parking spots to some ethnic/gender label. How does it look, how does it sound? Does it pass the “sounds right” test. And, by-the-way, sounds right to whom? The keepers of what public sentiment should be?

It seems that the ILC is complaining that the favored status being granted (by the Buffalo Bills – and, I am not a fan) is not the way in which the group would like their favored status served. Therefore it is bad, very bad.

Perhaps, the whole idea of corralling people and pointing them out by an act of law is just plain wrong.

What would happen if the general public (save for a few who just don’t get it) left the first row of parking spots open, just becauseEver see those reserved for employee-of-the-month, reserved for families with children signs. They are not legislated. I’ve never seen people ignoring those signs – again, except for a few who don’t get it.?

What would happen if we asked people to be good neighbors and to exercise compassion? What would happen if we began to act like good citizens and believers in whichever ‘golden rule’ we each claim to follow? Would there be a wholesale run on those blue spots?